For the first time in NBA history, Bill Russell’s #6 jersey will be retired across the league. It’s only the third time that’s ever happened across all sports.
The recent announcement got us thinking: which former Texas HS Football numbers should be retired across every ISD in the Lone Star State?
Here are the five of the most deserving that we came up with:
Davey O’Brien — #8
Player Resume: Born in Dallas, O’Brien competed at Woodrow Wilson High School, earning All-State honors, and a Texas state playoff run in 1932. On graduating, he attended nearby TCU, setting a Southwest Conference passing record that lasted for a decade. His NCAA record for most rushing and passing plays in a single season still stands today.
He played two seasons in the NFL, but money in the league was not what it is today, and he retired early to pursue a more prosperous career elsewhere.
Number Retirement Reasons: O’Brien’s life post-football reads like a Hemingway novel. He bounced around different careers, serving as an FBI agent for a decade, was a land developer, oil man, and president of the TCV Alumni Association.
His Davey O’Brien Foundation provides the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, distributing $1.2 million in scholarships since 1977.
Drew Brees — #9
Player Resume: The future Hall Of Famer never lost as a high school starter, leading Austin Westlake to a 28-0-1 record in two seasons, including a state championship as a senior. He graduated with 5,464 passing yards and earned USA Today All-American honors. With both the Chargers and the Saints in the NFL, he led the league in passing seven times and earned 13 trips to the Pro Bowl. Brees is second — behind only Tom Brady — with passing yards (80,358).
Number Retirement Reasons: Brees created the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003. Since then, he and his wife Brittany have contributed more than $45 million to charitable causes worldwide. The funds have been dispersed to cancer treatment and care for families in needs. Brees has also taken five USO trips to numerous countries throughout the Middle East and Europe.
Patrick Mahomes — #15
Player Resume: Mahomes threw for 8,458 yards in his career at Whitehouse High School, earning Parade All-American honors as a senior. Later committing to Texas Tech, Mahomes won the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior, graduating to become one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, already nabbing both the MVP and Super Bowl in just five years of play.
Number Retirement Reasons: Sure, his family can make the headlines for all the wrong reasons, but Mahomes has never been embroiled in controversy. The quarterback’s foundation 15 and the Mahomies is dedicated to improving the lives of children in the Kansas City community and beyond. Offered grants and scholarships have totaled tens of millions of dollars.
Earl Campbell — #20
Player Resume: Probably the most deserving on this list, Campbell is ranked amongst the upper echelons for the greatest triple threat — earning top 100 honors in high school, college, and the NFL.
The John Tyler standout was named the national high school player of the year in 1973, later attending UT, where he was awarded the Heisman Trophy — the first ever Longhorn winner of the award. He finished his collegiate career with 4,443 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns.
Campbell’s NFL run was just as impressive. Spending the majority of his career with the now defunct Houston Oilers, he won MVP in just his second season, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame post-retirement.
Number Retirement Reasons: In 1981, Campbell was declared an official State Hero by the Texas legislature, an honor only bestowed to Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett. In 2014, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award was introduced, given to the best offensive player in NCAA Division I with Texas ties. Last season, Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe hoisted the trophy.
Campbell’s foundation has brought awareness to both MS and arthritis.
Dick “Night Train” Lane — #81
Player Resume: Born and raised in Austin, “Night Train” was an absolute beast in Texas’ segregated African American league, claiming a state championship in 1944 with LC Anderson. After graduating, Lane played for a time with the Omaha Rockets and Kansas City Monarchs baseball teams. Finding little professional athletic success, he enlisted in the United States Army and served for four years.
In order to make his professional ambitions a reality, Lane literally walked into the front office of the Los Angeles Rams and requested a tryout. During 14 years in the NFL, Lane recorded 68 interceptions, five touchdowns, and competed in seven Pro Bowls.
Number Retirement Reasons: Lane was the first African American to work in the Detroit Lions’ front office, taking on various positions. In 1975, Lane was hired to manage Detroit’s Police Athletic League. He remained in the position for 17 years, overseeing expansion to 16 centers with 20,000 participants.
Other Players to Consider
While yes, it is not practical to retire a bunch of numbers statewide because you can’t limit number possibilities too much, there is a seemingly never-ending list of players we could also have included. The first players that come to mind are those whose accomplishments on the field as a Texas high school football make them among the best to ever play high school football, like Kyler Murray, Johnathan Gray and Ken Hall
You can also include other players that went on to have great NFL careers, like Sammy Baugh, Mike Singletary, Joe Greene, and Eric Dickerson. You can include a guy who was one of the most legendary football players of all time like Doak Walker. Or how about a Texas HS football legend that was also a Dallas Cowboy legend like Bon Lilly?
The list is endless. Who would you include?
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